LaVar eyes 'Linebacker U' bar

By Jennifer Thomas

STATE COLLEGE — It appears former NFL and Penn State football player LaVar Arrington is coming back to State College — as a businessman.

Arrington’s signature is on a placard posted at the former Sports Cafe & Grille, 244 W. College Ave., informing the community of a pending liquor license transfer.

Francesca Chapman, deputy press secretary for the state Liquor Control Board, confirmed that the agency has received an application from Arrington and F.A.M.M. LLC to take over the liquor license previously used by the Sports Cafe & Grille.

A call to Arrington’s attorney, Rosalyn Pugh, was not returned, and his agent could not be reached for comment. Other attempts to reach Arrington were unsuccessful.

The Sports Cafe has been closed since mid-December. The liquor license expired Jan. 31 and is in safekeeping, Chapman said.

It must be restored to active status before it can be transferred, she said.

“Nothing can happen until that’s accomplished,” she said, adding that once that’s complete and Arrington’s application is approved: “He’s in business.”

As of Friday, no plans had been submitted to State College Borough for the site, but a Maryland architect associated with the project has been in contact about a sports bar, said borough zoning officer Herman Slaybaugh.

“I know it’s going to be called Linebacker U,” he said in a phone message.

The architect could not be reached late Friday afternoon.

Arrington played linebacker at Penn State, and went on to be a first round NFL draft pick in 2000. He played six seasons in the NFL, five for the Washington Redskins and one for the New York Giants, before retiring after the 2006 season.

Arrington recently opened a restaurant and bar in Largo, Md., called The Sideline Sports Bar.

The location of the former Sports Cafe is owned by local businessman Ed Friedman. He would not confirm the identity of the prospective tenants but said he expects a lease for the property to be signed by July 1.

“There have been ongoing negotiations,” Friedman said.

He said the tenants’ plans for the property are a good fit but referred questions about those plans to the tenants. Friedman said the site was formerly a Pizza Hut and became the Sports Cafe in the late 1990s.

In January, owner Kevin Anderson said then there were plans to renovate and reopen the facility 30 to 45 days later. On Friday, he returned a call, but refused comment. It is not known if he is still involved in the Sports Cafe.

He had hinted in January that a big name partner would be coming on, but he declined at that time to name him or confirm that it was Arrington.

The facility has remained closed, and no renovations have taken place.

Jennifer Thomas can be reached at 231-4638.